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Local Democrats condemn, GOP defends Trump

Two local events last week exposed the two parties’ immense political divide when it comes to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

A local Republican leader likened Trump’s lewd talk and reports of unwanted sexual advances as nothing worse than “a pimple on his nose” exaggerated by media coverage. Hillary Clinton, another Republican said, is much worse — ambitious, out for herself and determined to “destroy this country.”
Bill Fishburne urged Republicans gathered at a regular monthly breakfast on Saturday to actively support Trump.
“I just want to suggest to you that whatever Donald Trump has been accused of, what he has done, and the wildest allegations that I’ve heard pales in comparison to Hillary Clinton ruining the life of a 12-year-old girl when she knew that her client was guilty,” he said. “An attorney doesn’t have the obligation to do what she did and she laughed and cackled about it years later. This is an evil that started 30-plus years ago and still permeates the Democratic candidate. I would like to suggest that you examine impartially Donald Trump’s life, his accomplishments and the things that he has stood for, even if we don’t like them or disagree with them. And he is the candidate that will support appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court.”
“So consider Donald Trump’s life work versus these allegations and rumors and even consider this: How would John F. Kennedy have stood up under these allegations if the media back in the 1950s, and ’60s like they are right now every time he had a pimple on his nose. It is a different light today. The media has gone crazy. Donald Trump may not be perfect. But he is far better than a known evil person. So please, don’t be ashamed of Donald Trump. Don’t say, ‘Well, I don’t like him, or whatever. Be enthusiastic. Let’s support the future of this country. Better a slightly unknown future than a future that we know would be evil and dangerous.”
Bruce Hatfield, who runs the Saturday morning breakfast, urged Republicans to look up a video about the Democratic nominee.
“There’s a video going around on Facebook right now that lists her atrocities basically for the past 30 years,” he said. “This woman is ambitious. She’s out for herself and she’s evil. She will destroy this country. That’s her mindset. There are two Hillary Clintons — the one you see on TV and the one behind the scenes. That’s the real Hillary Clinton.”
Cody Henson, the Republican nominee for the 113th House District, said voters have commented on Trump occasionally.
“I’m not incredibly focused on Donald Trump,” he said. “My priority is the people in House District 113. I’m going to represent them regardless of who I support for president or who they support for president.”

“Some people call and say, ‘Hey, did you hear what Donald Trump said?’ I’ve gotten those phone calls. I’m not hearing people just absolutely saying, ‘I’m not voting for you because you’re a Republican just like Donald Trump.’ Those aren’t the conversations that are coming up,” he said.

SUBHED
Another view
Democrats, in the meantime, describe Trump as a gift to their party — sure to flip millions of women to the Democratic column.
Maureen Copelof, a self-described Reagan Republican who switched to the Democratic Party in reaction to the GOP’s policies in the N.C. Legislature, sees Trump as a heavy drag on his party’s prospects. A retired Navy captain running for the House District 113, Copelof predicts a strong female vote for Democrats.
“Republicans I’ve talked to are so discouraged with Trump and frankly some of them don’t know what to do,” she said after making a talk before the Democratic Women of Henderson County in Flat Rock on Thursday. “I have a lot of Republican friends. Having been military for 30 years a lot of my friends are Republican. They don’t know what to do. A number of my military friends will not vote for Trump because they understand his concept of the use of military power is frightening and is not in line with what we’ve been taught is the appropriate use of military power. So they don’t want to vote for Trump but they’re also unwilling to vote. I think a lot of them are just not going to vote the top of the ticket. They’re just going to vote the local elections. I see a lot of that happening right now because people are just so discouraged about national politics.
“I can’t imagine that women are going to vote for Trump. I think women understand the type of sexual predator that he is turning out to be to women. Just this morning, there are four or five new reports in the past of, totally unacceptable, all the way up to criminal conduct, in terms of sexual assault on women. I think he’s lost the women’s vote.”
Susan Brittain Campbell, president of the Henderson County Democratic Women, also said the Republican nominee is helping her party’s chances on Nov. 8.
“With Donald Trump at the top of the ticket, that’s been a huge gift to Democrats and that will help down ballot as we go into the election,” Campbell said.